Shrouded Darkness
by Cercris
Summary: The war between the earth and the galaxy is at its end, but the invaders have already taken the lives of all the z fighters... or have they?
1. So This Is Freedom?

BEEP BEEEEEP!! Horns from various cars shouted at one another in the ant colony known as New York City. It was a beautifully smog and noise polluted filled day, as the tightly packed people with their cigarettes in hand swear at each other across cars, buildings, streets and the so called air. A lonely hobo walks through a dark alley way, stopping to scrounge up anything of use he could put into his three wheeled cart. He brushes the dirt off of a pack of cigarettes. The container is empty, to his dismay, but he didn't have a lighter anyway. He looked up to the sky to ask the same question he asks himself everyday for the past seventeen years. Where did I go wrong? He was just about to go back to his cart and start trudging along, but then he noticed something. Beyond all the smog in the sky, beyond what little clouds there were, and even higher than the skyscrapers, he noticed that the sky seemed a little strange. He shrugged it off and went back to his cart, figuring the sky looked distorted cause of the unusual amount of smog this morning.  
  
This new discovery of a distorted sky didn't go unnoticed by the people in the tops of the highest skyscrapers. The people who were parallel with the distortion couldn't see anything cause of its perfect two dimensional shape. Those that could see, notice that the sky seemed to waver under some unseen force. The distortion formed a perfect circle in the bright morning sky. It suddenly started to form waves, starting from the center going outward. It appeared to be opening up, as the waves around the center kept on going, except the center started to slowly spread apart, revealing pitch black. Black didn't even begin to describe how unbelievably dark it was. It seemed to almost engulf any light around it to compensate for the lack of light.  
  
When the whole circle was engulfed in darkness, you could see how huge it actually was, able to swallow thousands of the biggest cruiser ships and still have room for thousands more. The whole took on an almost liquid consistency. Or so it seemed, when an object started to poke its head out from the middle of it. It rippled like a glass of water would when you pound lightly on the table the glass was on.  
  
It started out small, just a spec in the center. Rapidly, it grew to half the size, elongating sideways, almost as big as the darkness. The object was opaque against the darkness. It stopped elongating and actually shrank into a cube shape, exactly as thick but twice as skinny sideways, and seemed to never end. Tempest winds rocked the city, lifting and throwing several people around like rag dolls. When the object was completely out, it looked like a crossbow without the string and no stalk. Completely metallic looking, opaque, and several kilometers across and twice as many long.  
  
People from down below finally started to notice this little extra scenery that wasn't there a few minutes ago. Like the turkeys they ate for thanksgiving, who can stare into a rain and drown themselves, these humans of the city stared up in the sky trying to figure out what's wrong and why this is happening. The black hole disappeared in a quick wink, leaving this object from another world hovering above the city. Everywhere directly under the ship was torn apart but the winds the thrusters created. Windows shattered, trees uprooted, people believing they are birds getting their wish for the first time. Without warning, something happened that would terrify the city for the short time it was alive.  
  
The front of the ship cracked long ways, and opened up to maybe a mile wide, which didn't look impressive on the ship. A cloud started to emerge from the inside. The strange thing with this cloud, it had direction. The hobo saw this, as other people did also. He just stood there gaping at the scene. The cloud moved its mass towards the nearest standing skyscraper that wasn't broken at all. The closer the cloud got, the smaller the building became, as it was seemingly being shot down. Great piles of rubble began to fall down on the humans, and chaos erupted. The swarm then flew low into the city, and spread out in all directions. All you could hear was constant, blood curtling screams wherever the cloud went. The hobo looked on, and as the cloud got closer, he could see they were millions of tiny ships, not bigger than a large dog each, but there were so many of them that they cast a shadow over the city.  
  
He noticed that some of them carried extra packages that they would drop. And one of them was heading in his direction. He was too scared to make any rational thought or movement. The ship passed overhead, and released its payday on him. Instead of an explosion, a creature plopped down right in front of him. One thing was for sure, it wasn't human. Humanoid figure, covered in green scales, a green tail, talons instead of fingers, and a long lizard like snout. It looked like a giant gecko, yet at the same time, it looked all too human. It wore a skin tight black body suit, and carried two identical contraptions in both its hands. When it stood up, it was almost exactly the same height as the man. He was so horrified, he dropped to his knees and tears streaked across his soiled face. He didn't see the creature pick up his gun and point it towards his skull. He felt a sharp pain on the top of his skull, and then, all went black….  
  
  
  
15 years have passed since the dark period, also known as the Shrouded Darkness. The name was derived from when the attack commenced. All over the world, a total and complete blackout. Most cities were destroyed, some just disappeared off the maps. No one could contact each other anywhere. No one got word of the attack or had any forewarning. Not even power generators would start up. The lack of communications or electricity set the world back to the dark ages. But, we had knowledge and written documents, so we weren't completely helpless. The human survival instinct automatically took us to these documents. With the use of these documents, we saved ourselves from going into a dark age completely, and made homes in dark caves, underground caverns, anywhere that was out of the open and out of the sights of the attackers. We protected ourselves by doing so, we were shrouded by darkness. The human race stayed underground and it doesn't look like we're coming back up anytime soon.  
  
-President Suke; eastern underground division 34226-L9  
  
On the surface, we can see a man walking along a dark ally way, seemingly searching for something. He stopped what he was doing, and looked up into the sky, in the very same spot the hobo was, standing in exactly the same way. But the look on his face and his overall build contradicted that of the small man. His one dark eye, almost black, hid sorrow, confusion, anger, made him look wildly older beyond his years. His other eye was covered in a black eye patch, and peaking out from behind it was a slash mark going diagonally from the bridge of his nose just past his brow. His bizarre neon orange hair ran wildly down his back to his knees. He was massively tall, his muscles rippling down his shirtless chest and arms, which had many scars. One giant slash scar across his chest was the most noticeable of markings on his body, expanding all the way across, and in the middle was at least 2 inches wide. It was clear he was born fighting. His torn pants and worn out boots were crusted over with blood and mud.  
  
He appeared to loose interest in the sky. When he looked back down, all that emotion, all those feelings, disappeared into a completely blank face, void of emotion or even the hint of changing. He was always like this. Ever since…he blocked bad memories out of his head. He had to focus on the here and now. They just wiped the last of the invading army off the continent of North America. He just started walking, when a woman came up behind him, and tapped him gently on the shoulder. He already knew she was there, so he didn't turn around. He only acknowledged her presence with a slight turn of the head.  
  
"Krieg, we're finished here, lets go home," The woman said quietly. He didn't answer, but he turned and place a hand on her chest, not looking back, and pushed her gently unto some of the shadows, and then disappeared into the shadows himself after her. A Reptilian like creature stepped out into the open, and started to scream. From his lack of armor and the fact he was waving his pistol around like a fool, he was drunk. Falling to his hands and knees, he started to cry. They could only watch. He brought out a vile of some sort, popped the top off, and drank a greenish fluid.  
  
"NWKE WA WRUE GOOONE' LESOO" he shouted out loud. He took his pistol out of its holster, and put it against his head. A bullet went through his head and embedded itself in a well nearby. The lifeless form slumped to the ground, spilling blood over the already desecrated rubble. The silence afterward was painful to them both. It was a big reminder that both fighting sides never wanted to participate in these acts of war. The woman stepped out into the open first. She placed a firm hand on Kriegs shoulder.  
  
"Lets go, its almost dark in Japan, if we hurry, we'll make it home in time," said in a vigorous voice. A toned woman's figure complimented by a lively face, black, messy hair down to her shoulder blades.  
  
"yes, sister," They slowly levitated up. In a flash, they were gone. Before the man and his sister headed for home, they decided to pass over the city once more. He scanned the demolished sky scrapers, the ruined roads and lives. Not one window left unbroken, most cars were destroyed, while some remained either stacked on one another or flipped over. The streets were bloody walkways with millions of skeletons all over the place where there weren't any cars. Krieg looked at hells walkway with indifference, while he shuttered violently on the inside as he looked on.  
  
Once they were finished with their scan, they concluded that they finally rid the American continent of the monstrosities for good. It was amazing. The first continent that was attacked was demolished within a couple of hours. That's where the first enemy base camp, and later, earth bound military headquarters was founded. They came upon the ruins of the old headquarters. They looked at each other for a second, The woman nodded to her brother, and they touched down onto the ground. Once on the ground, they embraced for a second, and then walked hand in hand through the wreckage. Finally, they came to an open area.  
  
In the middle, side by side, were to piles of rocks with crosses at the heads. On the arm of one cross, was a lock of golden hair. They both stood in front of that cross, and bowed their heads respectfully.  
  
"you fought the battle of a lifetime, you may now rest in peace," said Krieg. I will kill juggernaut for you. He thought to himself. They moved to the next one. In the middle of the cross, held in place with some leather strips, was the dragon radar, long ran dry of energy and the knowledge to make it forgotten.  
  
"bulma, you and him had a great time together. May you rest in peace," she said. The made it tradition to come to this place every year to pay their respects. These were the planets greatest people ever to live, even if one of them was alien. Before the siblings left, the stepped by a rock, and pressed a button, then left for home. A squirrel was just passing by. Approaching the area, It sensed something was not right. It ignored its instinct for once in its pitiful and meaningless life. It was a mistake it would never live to make again as its little furry body was filled with more electricity than the power of a lightning bolt times 10. The odor of fried fur and flesh filled the air as well as the dying screams of the small creature. 


	2. Our Past

Shrouded Darkness

 Chapter. 2

            The planet Xias was at the edge of the galaxy known to humans as the Milky Way galaxy.  At the edge of the galaxy, it was in the farthest binary star system. This planets uniqueness came not only from being so far out in space, but from the fact that it was two halves of contradicting planets. One side of the planet was nothing but forest, while the other side was nothing but technological city, and each half held only one sentient species.  One was a reptilian race called the kluvecx. They were on the verge of being savage, but were highly intelligent and knew how to manipulate their natural resources to such an extreme to make unbelievable chemicals and biotechnology. The other race was humanoid, completely identical to humans except vastly more intelligent. They had extreme engineering capabilities, and invented inter -space travel far earlier than the humans would have.  Even for a very sophisticated race, they themselves had a thirst for power that rivaled that of their reptilian neighbors.

The two races were constantly at war with each other. Prejudice and hatred between the races was high. It took years of warring against each other, losing millions of lives, for the major powers to realize that the war was a total stalemate. In the end, the leaders from the humanoid and reptilian side got together for a one day only conference, on a desolated battle field, right were two fronts were head and head, making sure no one was near their own home turf. No one was allowed into the meeting but those who were participating. After 38 hours, a standard full day for that planet, they came upon an agreement that both sides could work together on.  It was ruled that a large wall, technological for shape and organic for durability, would separate and isolate the two races to their respective sides of the world.

It took only over 1000 years to construct the wall.  Many people died from the extreme labor.  Uncountable scientists and engineers and biochemists wracked their brains for almost impossible solutions to keep the wall perfectly straight, yet go through any obstacle.  They hand to demolish whole entire mountains, fill in ocean trenches in specific spots, find exactly where to poor a specific chemical to get a special vine to grow along side the wall, calculate how often repairs would be needed even with the organic self reconstruction.

When they finished, almost everybody was happy.  Despite prejudice, the scientists grew a longing to understand one another's technology, to possibly study how this and that works, to see compatibility within their own technologies and their foes.  But, it was futile after the wall was up. The wall itself was eleven stories high, and almost as wide across. It contained both sides perfectly.

Sentries on the technology side dutifully guarded their stations. Sentinels in the jungle lived day to day, hunting down any who dare to enter their territory. Several millennia passed, the city grew larger and more advanced, and the jungle was nearly overflowing with plant life. The scene was incredible, savage jungle bordering city jungle. The only communication between the two sides was through scientists, and very limited at that. There was just enough technology going between them to survive illnesses and to change and control weather in order to not leave the planet a dying wreck.

Both sides were so focused on each that they failed to realize impending doom just outside their solar system.  A single pod crashed landed onto their planet. Ironically, it crashed straight into the middle of the wall.  That was the start of the one day of apocalypse, and the several thousand years of hell afterwards. A being stepped out of the pod. Ancient scriptures depict the character as a humanoid looking creature, with unholy strength, and the eyes of a demon. They called it, the Angel of Death.  The carnage that ensued afterwards would be remembered for all times. The satanic creatures' laughs could be heard far and wide as it rained death wherever it went.  The planet seemed alive with the screams of the dead. The holocaust this one being produced seemed like an eternity.  It was only an hour before the monstrosity left, leaving the planet in desolation.

Forest and city alike burned as one.  There were few jungle survivors, and even fewer from the city. Those who had enough time to put up any measly resistance didn't have enough of themselves left for a burial.  The few that went into hiding fast enough would be the ones to save their planet. A meeting was held between the two sides. Everybody that was left was to go to the creatures landing spot.  It took almost 20 days to find the survivors and to gather them together. Only a million people survived out of almost 5 billion. The two sides' hatred for one another was almost diminished since it was mostly scientists and young civilians who survived, but after what that creature did, it didn't matter who they use to hate. They were forced to forget their differences and start a new life.  And so, the restoration of two devastated races was about to begin. The meeting itself lasted several days, until they came upon the most unexpected of agreements. The wall of the planet came down, and so there will no long be one side against another. They will all live as one race.

It was extremely slow and laborious work.  Not only did they have to build minor cities that had to be able to harbor both species, but they also had to teach their future children not to hate, in order for a more peaceful life.  Some were reluctant at first, but they quickly changed their minds, seeing as they were in no position to defy the community. It took many, many more years for the population to grow. At about the time their civilization regained integrity, the Earth was learning for the first time how burned animal flesh taste. Their scientists worked together in perfect freedom and harmony for the first time. They re-developed space travel by improving on the old models. They started to settle on outlying planets that could harbor life, since their population was increasing dramatically.

Suddenly a break-through in the fields of space technology, bioengineering, and chrono technology shook the world. It took a while to get permission from the governing body to use a "willing," subject, but the government gave in. The scientists did the most horrible of experiments on the subject, pure and absolute torture in the name of science. It took almost 14 years to get the technology complete, safe, and pain free. An ultimate device in space travel that humans would never be able to create on their own: space fold.

The normal interplanetary vehicles made jumps into hyperspace for a very short time, then jumped out for course redirections. Now, this new technology can make either one person or entire armadas go unspeakable distances across the universe. As to what happened to their subject in the end, or how the technology actually works, was kept classified. The normal person used this new devise to go to beautiful planetary resorts or to meet a relative who decided to move to a different planet. The government, on the other hand, had much bigger plans. These plans involved the recreation of weapons and an army.

A thought rang through all the plans. What if we encounter the Angel again? So, all eyes turned to the precious and extremely intelligent scientists. To the surprise of all, the scientists were already ahead of them in the plan of creating the ultimate weapon. While in the process of developing space fold technology they had developed the ultimate bio-soldier. Using the technology from the previous technology jump they put it to use on their new lab rats.  The first bio-soldier, from the kluvecx species, was called T'kalo which meant "unfortunate one", since he couldn't remember his own name. He was in for a surprise when he awoke.

He had all the same powers as the angel! In fact, the scientists based their ideas off of a theory called _ki_.  Not only had he awakened the power he held within himself but that power was increased ten fold. An added bonus was that he could increase his power rapidly with extreme training.  Unfortunately, the process that the patient underwent left them with permanent amnesia. The conversations in a specific counsel meeting went as so…: 

_"well…the crime and arrest rate has been increasing lately, and soon our containment areas will be overfilled."_

_            "true, true, and most people are against executions, me include.,"_

_"then it's decided, any person who is arrested for crimes of imperial offense, will be elisted into the army and trained as soldiers. Make the criminals useful for once."_

And soon, it began. It turned out to be more of a success than expected. Crime rate decreased almost 60% within the next five years.  Plus by then, they had more than enough people for an army big enough to defend against attackers such of the likes of The Angel. A little before the unveiling of their newest weapon, however, explorers came across a new race of sentient beings.  Their technology was poor, compared to theirs. What they could gain from them, though, was not only expansion of their empire, but these new creatures had connections with other aliens as well. They discovered from their encounter with the aliens, that they were highly apt at negotiations. Their explorer party integrated this new planet and others nearby into their own empire. And the power struggle was on.  The only other person in the system who had power was King Cold, and his son Frieza.

 The rat-race for the control of the galaxy was hard.  Whenever the Xian Empire integrated another planet and its race into it empire it had to make sure that it wasn't blow up by the Cold family.  It didn't look as though situations would improve. Then, something peculiar happened. On a backwater planet, although very beautiful, the King as his son were both annihilated, by one man.  This didn't scare the high powers though.  They took this in as an opportunity.  Strong allies meant less trouble from outside forces.  Their actions were canceled for a short time, however, because of a small financial crisis in which they didn't have enough currency to back up any projects.

Acting quickly to get rid of the problem, they look out to some planets once desolated by Frieza, and sold them off to some wealthy civilizations, planning to gain them into the empire after they were finished.  Setting the plan into action, they sent out a negotiator first, consisting of a diplomatic convoy and two gunships. As they expected, they were destroyed.  Then they sent out their first wave of attackers, consisting of only of cruisers, battleships, gunships, and carriers, hoping that they would at least show to the earthlings that they meant business.  After months of waiting in the dark, their questions were answered when a single lifeboat ship, with two survivors, both on heavy life support, returned.

One of the men would survive, but had such an extreme case of shell-shock that he became mentally challenged and retarded.  All they could get out of the other one, before he died of blood loss, was "_HE said… t-thank you for-r the of-ffer, but…but no thank you,"  A meeting was held, all the high powers within the empire, including the strongest of crime lords.  They would all pitch in to bring down this one planet.  It would be utter humiliation and disgrace if the whole galaxy could not bring down one planet…._

A/N: I know, I really should be working on my other stories, plus this one I am really not too proud of, but I really need to stay in touch with FF.net. I have been out of the loop for so long that I did not even notice the changes going on. Well, hopefully this will satisfy a few people while I catch up on my Sonic story.


End file.
